Day 118: Mark 9:2–10

His clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus (vv. 3–4).

Although much time elapsed and many significant events occurred between the healing of Jairus’s daughter and the transfiguration, what makes these two scenes priorities at this point in the book is the inclusion of only three disciples.

In Mark 5:37, the three were listed as “Peter, James, and John, James’ brother” (hcsb). In this scene, John is no longer named like a tagalong brother. At this point, we see his identity in Scripture undoubtedly emerging. Also note that Jesus didn’t just let Peter, James, and John come along. He took them. He “led them” there (Mark 9:2).

God’s will always expresses divine intention. Just as Jesus was intentional toward the experiences and exposures of the three, Christ is intentional toward us. He never bosses us or appoints us to something for the sheer sake of presuming authority. His will always has purpose. Sometimes we go our own ways, and God still has mercy on us and shows us something there. Other times we beg Him to allow us to go a certain place and He consents. Still other times God takes us places we never intended to go. Those are places where He will reveal Himself to us in ways we didn’t even know He existed.

All three synoptic Gospels record the transfiguration. Matthew’s Gospel supplies the detail that the three disciples fell facedown to the ground. I am convinced that the people of God miss many appropriate opportunities to fall facedown to the ground, not in an emotional frenzy but in complete awe of God. We don’t have a clue Who we’re dealing with. I believe one of Jesus’ chief reasons for transfiguring Himself before the three disciples was to say, “I am not like you. This is just a glimpse of who I am.”

Remember, Jesus had equipped them with supernatural power to perform some of the same miracles He performed. What would keep these three from thinking that just maybe, in time, they might be His peers? God forbid the thought! Jesus is not a superhuman. He is God—the beloved, divine Son of Him who occupies the throne of all creation.

God says in Psalm 50:21, “You thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you” (hcsb). One primary reason He takes us to places we’ve never been is to show us He’s not like anyone else.